Joost abandons P2P client for Flash

Video site swaps software app for web-based platform

Joost has announced that it is to abandon its current P2P client, in favour of pushing its web-based Flash video service.

This means that anyone who uses the service will have to revert to its internet counterpart.

Joost originally launched as a video service that relied on users downloading software to their desktop.

While this meant Joost became a legal P2P client, where users could access legitimate video content, the software was clunky and had to be re-installed time and time again to work.

Flash, a-ha

To make the service more accessible, Joost will, as of 19 December, focus solely on its web-based service, which is accessible to everyone who has the Adobe software installed.

Like most video sites on the internet, Joost will be using Flash to stream its large catalogue of movie, television shows and music promos, which include episodes of Peep Show and the Wallace & Gromit short films.

What is does mean, however, is that some functions of Joost will be unavailable – such as real-time chat.